Mattress-making machine.



No. 813,470. PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906. G; W. WHITE. MATTRESS MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00114, 1904.

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APPLIOATION FILED 001 14, 1904.

PATENTED FEB; 27, 1905;

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Attorney No. 813,470. PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906. 0. W. WHITE.

MATTRESS MAKING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 14, 1904;

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MATTRESS MAKING MACHINE. APPLIOATION nun 00114, 1904.

Q] will I i lnuentzr Q i CM)? 111%? Attorney CHARLES W. WVHITE, OF WAGO, TEXAS.

MATTRESS-MAKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed October 14, 1904. Serial No. 228.481.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waco, in the county of McLennan and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mattress-Making Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to mattressmaking machines of that general type wherein the material to be assembled and condensed to the proper shape is fed into a suitable frame which is then bodily moved into the tick and withdrawn therefrom, leaving the mattress-forming material in the tick.

The present invention is designed more particularly as an improvement over my for mer' patent, No. 679,809, dated August 6, 1901, and to this patent attention is directed for a general understanding of this type of machine.

The invention to be described seeks to improve the prior patented structure in several particulars, whereby a more simple and equally-efficient machine is produced; and it consists of the parts and combination to be hereinafter described and then definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents in side elevation a machine embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on line a; at, Fig. 1, showing more particularly the main supporting-frame and the shaping and forming frame. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of a detached portion of the main frame and the shaping and forming frame, showing the construction for adjusting the plunger of the latter frame. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing the means for adjusting the plunger. Fig. 6 is a partial central section on line y y, Fig. 2, showing the mounting of the compression-frame, the slatted apron, and the adjunctive parts to be, described. Fig. 7 is a detail showing the hinge connection of the compression-frame with the block-mounting of the lifting-shaft. Fig. 8 is a front view of the deflectors; and Fig. 9 is a section thereof on line .2 z of Fig. 8, showing also in section a part of the plunger with which the deflectors cooperate.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the main supporting-frame for the operating parts of the machine comprises suitable uprights A, which near their lower ends are joined by side pieces A, suitably secured thereto and preferably braced in any desired manner to constitute a convenient and suitable framework. The uprights A are eX- tended above the side pieces A to constitute a receiving-chamber having, as shown in Fig. 1, the panels A and A the latter of which are vertically movable and suspended by weights A, which are connected to cords passing over suitable pulleys A the purpose of the panels A being to permit access to the mattress-stuffing material as desired. Supported in any suitable relation to the chamber above the side pieces A is a picker, cotton-gin, or other suitable character of device B for separating the fibrous material before delivering it to the said chamber, the said picker or other suitable device'being connected to the chamber by a chute B, the end of which is controlled by a valve B operative by a cord B as shown in Fig. 1. The purpose ofthis is to regulate not only the flow of material into the chamber above the side pieces A, but to determine the relative density of such material as it flows into said chamber, it being evident that with the valve B wide open the material will flow from the chute B in a fluffy and disintegrated condition into the chamber and will settle on the mattress-forming frame to be hereinafter described.

Supported on the main framework in any suitable manner and extending transversely between the side frames A are the sprocketwheels or pulleys B and B Figs. 1 and 6, and about these sprocket-wheels or pulleys B and B a slatted apron B passes, which constitutes the bottom of the main frame between the side pieces A, as more fully shown by Fig. 3. One of the sprocket-wheels or pulleys B is adjusted toward and from the other sprocket-wheel 0r pulley B by suitable means, as B, which may be similar to that disclosed in my former patent referred to.

Projecting to the left in Figs. 1 and 3 is the tick-support B B", formed, substantially as in my former patent, so as to support the tick. Both the upper and lower portions B and B of the tick-support are, as shown in Fig. 3, adjustable in width, as in my said patent, to provide for mattresses of different widths.

In myformer patent the slatted apronwas designed to be driven in one direction only for carrying the mattress-forming frame into the mattress, and then such mattress-forming frame was withokawn from the mattress by a separate device distinct from the slatted apron; but inmy present invention I have provided means for driving the apron first in one and then in the other direction, so that by its reverse motions it may perform the double function of inserting the mattressframe and mattress into the tick and then withdrawing the forming-frame therefrom, as will presently appear. To provide for thus giving a reverse motion to the slatted apron, there is provided on the side pieces A a bracket a, to which is journaled a shaft a, carrying a pinion a and a pulley a the said pinion a meshing with a corresponding pinion a to which the sprocket-wheel or pulley B is attached, whereby upon rotation of the pulley 0. in either direction corresponding motion will be imparted to the slatted belt, as will be obvious. (See Figs. 1 and 3.) Supported by any suitable means, as the hangers C, Figs. 1 and 2, is the shaft C, carrying pulleys C and C driven by belts C and C so as to rotate such pulleys in opposite directions, and the opposing faces of the pulleys C C are provided with clutch members 0, adapted to be engaged by a clutch member c, disposed between them, said clutch member 0 being connected to the pulley a Figs. 1 and 2, by means of a suitable belt C whereby upon rotation of the clutch member 0 in one or the other direction the two movements may be imparted to the slatted belt, as will be understood. The clutch member 0 is actuated by means of a handle,

C pivoted at c and engaging a suitable groove in said clutch member in the usual manner, as will be well understood. In my former patent also the compression-frame for acting upon the top of the material and compressing it into a mattress forming frame was hinged or journaled upon the shaft for raising and lowering said frame; but I have departed from this construction in my present invention and simplified the same, so as to secure ease of movement by the following disposition of parts. Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 6, there is disposed parallel to the uprights A at the ticksupporting end of the machine an upright D, supported from the uprights A by means of suitable blocks D to form ways or guides D in which are guided lifting-blocks D, carrying the racks D J ournaled in the blocks D is the lifting-shaft E, Figs. 2 and 6, having a hand-wheel E, Fig. 2, and a pulley E above which passes the lifting-cord E and the opposite end of which is secured to the end of the compression-frame F, Fig. 1. From this construction it will be noted that upon rotation of the lifting-shaft E the lifting-frame F may be raised or lowered. Secured to the blocks D is a cross-piece D Fig. 6, to which the compression-frame F is hinged, as shown at d. It will thus be seen that while the compression-frame F has the same functional characteristic as in my prior patent the weight thereof is not supported upon the liftingshaft, so that said shaft may be more easily and readily operated to lift the compression-frame In order to provide for the formation of mattresses of different thicknesses, the racks D", hereinbefore referred to as connected to the blocks D are engaged by a pinion G, carried by the shaft Gr, journaled in suitable bearings in the uprights D, as shown in Fig. 6. The shaft G is provided with a handwheel G whereby it may be operated to raise and lower the bearingblocks D through the rack connection, as hereinbefore described.

In the present form of my invention the mattress-forming frame (best shown in Fig. 3) consists of a series of slats II, which at a suitable point in their length are connected by adjustable cross-pieces H and held in such adjusted position by double set-screws h, as shown in said figure, thus permitting the adjustment of the slats H toward and from each other, so as to provide for mattresses of different widths. On the exterior of the series of slats H are the side upright slats or pieces H", which serve somewhat as the sides of a box for containing material discharged into the slatted frame, and these side pieces are connected to the sidemost slats H of the series, so that as said slats are adjusted toward and from each other to form mattresses of different widths the side slats H are likewise adjusted.

In order that the material placed upon the slats H may be moved by said slats into the tick, as indicated in my former patent, I provide a ram or plunger K, which extends transversely of the series of slats, as indicated in Fig. 3, and said plunger is adjustable in width by means of a suitable set-screw 1c, as will be apparent from Figs. 2 and 3. In order to provide for mattresses of different lengths, I provided in my former patent aseries of dummies or separate pieces which could be placed between the ram or plunger and the material to be forced into the tick; but in my present invention I have devised other means for this purpose, which is best shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. In said figures the ram or plunger K is secured to an adjustment-piece 16 by means of suitable angle-irons, as 16 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and said adjustmentpiece passes beneath an angle-iron clamp In, Figs. 3, 4, and 5, which is attached to the crosspieces for widthwise adjustment II, and said adjustment-pieces 7c are held in desired po sition of adjustment lengthwise 0f the series of slats by a set-screw k From this it will be seen that I have provided a small and yet very effective means for not only determining the width of the mattress to be formed, but also the length thereof, and simply by longitudinal adjustment of the plunger or ram K on the slatted frame the length of the mattress may be determined within any de- .ISO

sired 1imits,'and this without the addition of separate parts other than the adjusting features hereinbefore described.

As hereinbefore stated, the movement of the slatted apron B is designed to carry'the mattress-forming frame composed of the slats H and their connection into and out of the tick, which is supported upon the ticksupports B and B", and to effect this I have provided the bottom of the slats H with fixed or rigid angle-irons L, Fig. 4. (Shown also in dotted lines in Fig. 3.) These angle-irons are secured to the lower surfaces of the slats H, and their upright flanges are adapted to engage between adjacent slats of the slatted apron B as will be clearly understood. In my former patent the means for operating the forming-frame comprised hinged angleirons with means for operating the same, and this was necessary because the slatted apron only moved the mattress-forming frame in one direction, after which the angle-irons had to be disengaged from betweenthe slats to enable the means other than the slatted apron to withdraw the frame from the tick, whereas in my present inventionsince the slatted 'apron by its double movement moves the mattress-forming frame both into and out of the tick I have been able to simplify the means connecting the slatted apron and forming-frame by making the angle-irons a fixed or rigid structure.

In order that the material discharged from the chute B may be deflected into the space defined by the plunger or ram K with respect to the length of the mattress, I have provided, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, a deflector comprising a rising and falling cross-piece M, Figs. 8 and 9, guided in suitable ways in the upright A. of the main frame and sustained by suitable weights, as will be understood. To the bottom of the cross-piece M is hinged at m a member m of the deflector, the other member m being supported by a suitable rod m, so as to be adjustable toward and away from the part M, according to the width of the mattress desired. To the bottom edges of the members M M of the deflector are secured cleats m which, as shown in Fig. 9, are adapted to rest in front of the plunger K, so as to guide or deflect the material in front of said plunger as it falls from the chute B. These deflectors are essential, as will be understood, because otherwise much material fed from the chute B into the receivingchamber would settle behind the plunger should the plunger be adjusted for a mattress of short length; but by the use of the deflector as herein described this objection is obviated.

' From the above-described construction, which forms one embodiment of the present invention, it will be seen that I have simplified the parts and constructions of my previous patent in several points, and the operation of the device of the present case may be briefly stated as follows: The size of mattress having been determined, the width of the mattress-forming frame is regulated by the cross-pieces H and their thumb-screws accordingly, and then the plunger is adjusted by means of the adjustment pieces lc to the length of mattress desired, as shown in Fig. 3. The distance of the plunger K from the tick-supporting end of the machine is adjusted to determine the length of mattress. The valve B is then raised to the desired position and material fed into the chamber above the mattress-forming frame, the latter at this time resting upon the stationary slatted apron B and the compression-frame F being at this time also in raised position, as shown in Fig. 1. The deflector having also been adjusted, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 9, the material from the chute B falls within the mattress-forming frame and in any amount of material necessary for the completion of a mattress-forming frame, the compressionframe F is lowered and the material suitably compressed, whereupon the slatted apron B is moved, as hereinbefore described, to carry the mattress-forming frame and the material contained therein into the tick, the flow of material into the chamber from the chute B being at this time suspended. The mattressforming frame and its contained material having been fed into the tick, the slatted apron is reversed and the mattress-forming frame by the reverse movement of the slatted apron is withdrawn from the tick.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a mattress-making machine, the combination of a main frame, a slatted apron supported by said frame, a mattress-forming frame adapted to rest upon said slatted apron, rigid projections secured to the under side of the mattress-forming frame for connecting the slatted apron and said mattressforming frame, so that by such rigid connection the angle-irons may act to move the forming-frame either forward or backward and means for moving said slatted apron in two directions for inserting and withdrawing the mattress-frame into and from the tick, said means comprising two pulleys having clutchfaces, mechanism for rotating said pulleys in opposite directions and devices for. connecting one or the other of said pulleys to the apron-supporting means.

2. In a mattress-making machine, the combination of a main frame, comprising up: rights, andside pieces connecting said up-. rights, a slatted apron disposed between the side pieces, panels disposed between the uprights of the main frame to constitute. a chamber above the slatted apron, a chute for delivering materials into said chamber, a valve controlling the discharge of material IIO from said chute into said chamber, and means for operating said valve.

3. In a mattress-making machine, the combination of a main frame provided with ways or guides, bearing-blocks adapted to move up and down in said ways or guides, a liftingshaft journaled in said blocks, a compressionframe hinged to said vertically movable blocks independent of the liftingshaft, and means connecting said lifting-shaft with the free end of the compression-frame.

4. In a mattress-making machine, the combination of the main frame comprising uprights, vertical guides or ways at one end of said frame, bearing-blocks vertically movable in said guides or ways, a rack or pinion for moving said. bearing-blocks, a lifting-shaft j ournaled in said bearing-blocks, a compression-frame carried by the bearing-blocks independent of the lifting-shaft, and a flexible connection between the lifting-shaft and free end of the compression-frame.

5. In a mattress-making machine, the combination of the main frame comprising uprights, vertical guides or Ways at one end of said frame, bearing-blocks vertically movable in said guides or ways, a rack or pinion for moving said bearing-blocks, a liftingshaft journaled in said bearingblocks, a crosspiece connecting said bearingblocks, a compression-frame hinged directly to said cross-piece independent of the lifting-shaft, and a flexible connection between the liftingshaft and free end of-the compression-frame.

6. In a mattress-making machine the combination of a main frame, a slatted apron carried by said frame, means for moving the slatted apron, first in one and then in the opposite direction, a mattress-forming frame comprising a series of slats and a plunger or ram constituting the end. of the m attressform ing frame, means for adjusting the plunger or ram longitudinally of said series of slats to vary the length of mattress formed by the forming-frame, and fixed angle-irons for connecting the said mattress-forming frame to said apron.

7. In a mattress-making machine, the combination of the main frame, a slatted apron carried by said frame, a mattress-forming frame adapted to be supported upon said slatted apron, saidforming-frame comprising a series of slats, a plunger or ram constituting the end of the mattress-forming frame, an adjustment-piece to which said plunger or ram is secured, and means for adjusting said adjustment-piece longitudinally of the series of slats to position the plunger for the making of mattresses of different lengths' 8. In a n1attress-mal ing machine, the combination of a main frame, a slatted apron carried thereby, a laterally-adjustable mattressforming frame supported by said slatted apron, a plunger adjustable longitudinally of said mattress-forming frame and an adjustable deflector, adapted to engage the plunger and direct material in front of said plunger.

9. In amattress-making machine, the combination of a main frame and a slatted apron carried thereby, a laterally-adjustable mattress-forming frame supported by said slatted apron, a plunger adjustable longitudinally of said mattress-forming frame and an adjustable deflector, having cleats, adapted to engage the plunger and direct material in front of said plunger. 1

10. In a mattress-making machine, the combination of a main frame, a slatted apron carried thereby, a mattress-forming frame supported on said apron, said mattress-forming frame comprising a series of slats, means for laterally adjusting said slats toward and from each other, a plunger, an adjustment piece to which said plunger is secured, and means for securing the adjustment-piece in adjustable position. v

11. In a mattress-making machine, the combination of a main frame, a slatted apron carried thereby, a mattress-forming frame supported on said apron, said mattress-forming frame comprising a series of slats, angleirons fixedly secured to the bottoms of said slats and adapted to engage between the slats of the apron, means for laterally adjusting said slats toward and from each other, a plunger, an adjustment-piece to which said plunger is secured, and a set-screw for securing the adjustment-piece in adjusted position.

12. In a mattress-forming machine, the combination of the main frame for receiving the material to be formed into a mattress, a plunger for forcing the material into the tick, means for feeding material onto the main formingframe, and a deflector adapted to engage the plunger and direct material in front of said plunger.

13. In a mattress-forming machine, the combination of a main frame for receiving material to be formed into a mattress, a plunger for forcing the material into the tick, and a deflector mounted to swing about its upper edge and adapted to extend in front of the plunger to direct material into the mainframe and in front of the plunger.

14. In a mattress-forming machine, the combination of a main frame for receiving material to be formed into a mattress, means for feeding material onto said frame, a plunger, a deflector interposed between said feeding means and plunger to deflect material in front of the latter, and means for adjusting said deflector.

15. In a mattress-forming machine, the combination of a main frame for receiving material to be formed into a mattress, means for feeding material onto said frame, a plunger, a deflector interposed between said feeding means and plunger to deflect material in front of the latter, a rising and falling crosspiece to which the deflector is hinged, and

means for adjusting the width of the deflector to the size of mattress to be made.

16. In a mattress-making machine, the

combination of a main frame, a slatted apron supported by said frame, a mattress-forming frame adapted to rest upon such slatted apron, rigid pieces secured to the bottom of the frame, and adapted to extend between the slats of the slatted apron and means for moving said slatted apron forward or backward and for inserting and withdrawing a mattress-frame into and from the tick.

17. In a mattress-making machine, the combination of a main frame, a slatted apron carried by said main frame, a mattress-forming frame adapted to be carried by said slatted apron, said mattress-forming frame comprising a series of slats and a plunger or ram secured to the side pieces of the forming-frame, and means for adjusting said plunger or ram longitudinally of the slats to Vary the length of the mattress formed by said frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. WHITE. Witnesses:

MEADA D. A. SULLIVAN, DANIEL WIsE. 

